Western prepares to punish reported Syrian chemical weapons attacks - CNN.com (http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/28/world/meast/syria-civil-war/index.html?hpt=hp_t1)

We just can't help ourselves, with no more evidence than we had when we started and much handwringing and chest beating we have decided, we cannot, after two years, stand idly by and do nothing. The real question is, of course, what to do that will not tip the scales either way. Ah, the horns of a dilemma. Strike too hard and you give the rebels victory, strike the wrong place and you give Assard victory, kill Assard and you create a vacuum quickly filled by Al Qaeda or worse Hezbollah. With nothing to loose Assard might unleash those WMD

I think its really a distraction from the Benghazi investigation the Obama administration would do ANYTHING to keep from happening.

I think this is wag the dog. Note no one is talking about all the emperor's scandals and other failings. Given the template that the Clintonista's established ,there will be a salvo or 2 of tomahawks and then we'll call it a day. There will be some however who still feel guilty about not doing anything about the Rhwanda massacres and will feed us their "responsibility to protect " doctrine.
Not to worry ,our goal is not regime change (as we said to the Russians when they approved a no-fly zone in Libya).

Our regime is saying strikes could come Thursday and we don't need no UN approval, while UN inspectors are asking for more time. Ironic isn't it?

When Bush was in office Obama and the lefties didn't think he could take long enough to satisfy them. Now to the same group... too soon has no meaning at all.

Testosterone is the root of all evil.
Less men in the world, please.

Its another Obama tantrum because Vladmir had the nerve to stand up to the Messiah... after all who has any business disagreeing or saying anything but what the Messiah wants to do and hear.

Barrak doesn't have much testosterone in his system. This is more like a child throwing a tantrum... only he has his hands on something more dangerous that a J I Joe doll. (or if you preffer ACTION figure)

Testosterone is the root of all evil.
Less men in the world, please.
You too must have noticed which gender is running amok in the streets, shouting and brandishing weapons.

Testosterone is the root of all evil.
Less men in the world, please.

Well that's rather rude and sexist.

Well that's rather rude and sexist.
I think she means we don't see in news clips the women and children running wild and screaming. They are the ones, though, ending up without sons and husbands and fathers.

I was sexist.
As for rude, heck, men complain about women all the time too. For thousands of years boy babies have been the prize, the goal, to continue the hunt, the farm, the battle, all the testy stuff. As far as I can tell, men still have just as much testosterone as their ancestors had. It has nowhere to go but rape, plunder, and pillage. Sports and rock music and mountain climbing and building tall structures would be nice but that isn't enough. Power, politics, itching to make WAR.

I think she means we don't see in news clips the women and children running wild and screaming. They are the ones, though, ending up without sons and husbands and fathers.

You both didn't see or remember the Videos from the Middle East on 9/11 then... women and children share in the violence and bombings over there in the buttcrack of the world. Its not men exclusively.

THe image of a nearly toothless Palestinian Cow celibrating is burned into my memory

You both didn't see or remember the Videos from the Middle East on 9/11 then....women adn children share in the violence and bombings over there in the armpit of the world. Its not men exclusively.
Yes, I remember them. But it's primarily men and boys pumping their fists and shouting. The women are mainly off to the side covering their faces and weeping.

Yes, I remember them. But it's primarily men and boys pumping their fists and shouting. The women are mainly off to the side covering their faces and weeping.

You watched different videos than I saw on the news then... because I saw joyous celibrations... not weaping, and it was even more the women and kids doing it than the men. The weaping only happened when payback time came.

I think she means we don't see in news clips the women and children running wild and screaming. They are the ones, though, ending up without sons and husbands and fathers.

No, it was clearly rude and sexist.

No, it was clearly rude and sexist.
Thank goodness men never are.

Yes, I'm blaming all this on men. Rude and sexist is called for.

I wouldn't go that far... Women aren't all that meak and subservient to mens demands even in the middle east...

Not even Afghanistan.(yes I understand the Afghan Family dynamic better than most people do)

Women play a big part in what happens in that part of the world.

Women play a big part?? Oh please. Maybe a rare one singled out just for the news.

Listen to all the words of war from paraclete: " ..the horns of a dilemma. strike too hard and you give the rebels victory, strike the wrong place and you give Assard victory, kill Assard and you create a vacuum quickly filled by Al Qaeda or worse Hezbollah. with nothing to loose Assard might unleash those WMD."

Is that how women think? Nope

I was sexist.
As for rude, heck, men complain about women all the time too. For thousands of years boy babies have been the prize, the goal, to continue the hunt, the farm, the battle, all the testy stuff. As far as I can tell, men still have just as much testosterone as their ancestors had. It has nowhere to go but rape, plunder, and pillage. Sports and rock music and mountain climbing and building tall structures would be nice but that isn't enough. Power, politics, itching to make WAR.

I have never raped, plundered or pillaged anyone or anything. Neither have my friends.

Thank goodness men never are.

Sure they are, one of the filthy b@stards just resigned, finally, as mayor of San Diego.

I have never raped, plundered or pillaged anyone or anything. Neither have my friends.

Naw, you just defend the unborn, no matter what a woman thinks, and no matter if its yours or not.

Women play a big part??? Oh please. Maybe a rare one singled out just for the news.

Listen to all the words of war from paraclete: " ..the horns of a dilemma. strike too hard and you give the rebels victory, strike the wrong place and you give Assard victory, kill Assard and you create a vacuum quickly filled by Al Qaeda or worse Hezbollah. with nothing to loose Assard might unleash those WMD."

Is that how women think? Nope

I'm assuming you think Middle eastern women are quiet slaves to their men-folk?

You couldn't be more wrong... that is an incorrect and dangerous misconception to make.

Don't confuse public with private behavior. They are VERY different from each other in that part of the world...

I know a few Afhgan families... and a couple Iranian ones... some for 20 years and well enough to know almost every transgression that's happened in them.

The women run those houses... not the men. They were immigrants... they weren't born and raised here. But their kids were.

I wouldn't go that far....Women aren't all that meak and subservient to mens demands even in the middle east...

Not even Afghanistan.(yes I understand the Afghan Family dynamic better than most people do)

Women play a big part in what happens in that part of the world.

When you're wounded and left on Afghanistan's plains, and the women come out to cut up what remains, jest roll to your rifle and blow out your brains and go to your gawd like a soldier.

Rudyard Kipling

Women have to carry on, bring up the next generation, after men destroy as much as they can.

Naw, you just defend the unborn, no matter what a woman thinks, and no matter if its yours or not.

Someone has to.

Someone has to.Why? Because women are too stupid to do it themselves?

Because murdering children is not a legitimate choice in a civilized country ?

because murdering children is not a legitimate choice in a civilized country ?
Instead, wait until they have enlisted in the military and then send them to war.

We can argue abortion somewhere else, can we?

I made my rude sexist remark about MEN because I don't know what to do about any of these damn wars.
Meanwhile the ships are offshore and the newscasters are saying things like 'point of no return.'

So. US is going, France is going and UK along with Canada. Lets pray something can be done to stop this insanity.

The world is going to end up with yet another secular dictator disposed only to be replaced with an Islamic terrorist dictator

Use to be great when colonial powers hand picked who they wanted in charge when they "left". The problem with dictators is they stay too long, and pa power to their sons. Or another relative.

Colonial powers - or the US. We pushed out colonial powers! We used the CIA to get rid of leaders just to protect United Fruit. What has changed? The cloak, the businesses, the natural resources.

This is still a great power game... from the Telegraph;Prince Bandar, head of Saudi intelligence, has made Russia an offer to fix gas prices if it agreed to drop its support for Syria.

“Let us examine how to put together a unified Russian-Saudi strategy on the subject of oil. The aim is to agree on the price of oil and production quantities that keep the price stable in global oil markets,” he said at the four-hour meeting with Mr Putin. They met at Mr Putin's dacha outside Moscow three weeks ago.

“We understand Russia's great interest in the oil and gas in the Mediterranean from Israel to Cyprus. And we understand the importance of the Russian gas pipeline to Europe. We are not interested in competing with that. We can cooperate in this area,” he said, purporting to speak with the full backing of the US.

The talks appear to offer an alliance between the OPEC cartel and Russia, which together produce over 40m barrels a day of oil, 45pc of global output. Such a move would alter the strategic landscape.

The details of the talks were first leaked to the Russian press. A more detailed version has since appeared in the Lebanese newspaper As-Safir, which has Hezbollah links and is hostile to the Saudis.

As-Safir said Prince Bandar pledged to safeguard Russia's naval base in Syria if the Assad regime is toppled, but he also hinted at Chechen terrorist attacks on Russia's Winter Olympics in Sochi if there is no accord. “I can give you a guarantee to protect the Winter Olympics next year. The Chechen groups that threaten the security of the games are controlled by us,” he allegedly said.
Saudis offer Russia secret oil deal if it drops Syria - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/oilandgas/10266957/Saudis-offer-Russia-secret-oil-deal-if-it-drops-Syria.html)

Can we get the libs to dust off those "No blood for oil " protest posters so they can picket the White House ? Nahh ,this is their emperor .

It's always about the oil. If only there were a way to wean off the dependence on it. But big biz and their politicians will not allow it so that's just the way it has to be.

Here are some ideas for protest signs...

http://media.komonews.com/images/war_protest_110604.jpg
http://media.salon.com/2011/07/where_have_all_the_war_protesters_gone-460x307.jpg
http://ww1.hdnux.com/photos/12/25/70/2711076/9/628x471.jpg
http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38435000/jpg/_38435429_150antiwar_ap.jpg
http://irregulartimes.com/aapaypalfiles/images/obamamorebombsdroppedbuttonthumb.png

It's always about the oil. If only there were a way to wean off the dependance on it. But big biz and their politicians will not allow it so that's just the way it has to be.

I say drill baby drill ! Frack baby frack !

I say drill baby drill ! frack baby frack !

And yo' mama says clean up your own mess.

This from Reuters

President Bashar al-Assad's forces appear to have evacuated most personnel from army and security command headquarters in central Damascus in preparation for a Western military strike, residents and opposition sources said on Wednesday
Syria evacuates most army buildings in Damascus: residents | Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/28/us-syria-crisis-army-preparations-idUSBRE97R0R320130828)
So if we want to hit command and control then we will have to target hospitals ,milk factories ,and aspirin factories. That's where the cowards normally go when they want human shields.

I say drill baby drill ! Frack baby frack !You can say that but you don't decide. It's 100% out of your hands.

Bloomberg says about US oil: 'Output is putting the nation on pace to surpass Saudi Arabia as the world's largest producer by 2020, according to Energy Department data.'

You can say that but you don't decide. It's 100% out of your hands.

Apparently we aren't allowed to have an opinion on anything that's out of our hands?

Sure you can.

Hello:

I'm all for PUNISHING Assad. I'm a Jew. I HATE that mf'er. I'm all for teaching him, AND the world that we won't stand for the use of WMD's.

I WOULD be for that stuff, if I thought it would work. If I thought we could DO that by lobbing a few bombs at him, then that's what we should do.

But, it won't, and we won't go all in. You can't tippy toe into war. We tried that. It doesn't work.

Besides, if Al Quada HAVE taken over the rebels, then our enemy is killing our OTHER enemy. What's wrong with that? Oh, yeah.. There's PLENTY wrong with it in the long run, but we should let things shake out a little.

excon

It isn't even clear that Assad was the one who did the chemical attack.

Hello:

I'm all for PUNISHING Assad. I'm a Jew. I HATE that mf'er. I'm all for teaching him, AND the world that we won't stand for the use of WMD's.

I WOULD be for that stuff, if I thought it would work. If I thought we could DO that by lobbing a few bombs at him, then that's what we should do.

But, it won't, and we won't go all in. You can't tippy toe into war. We tried that. It doesn't work.

Besides, if Al Quada HAVE taken over the rebels, then our enemy is killing our OTHER enemy. What's wrong with that?? Oh, yeah.. There's PLENTY wrong with it in the long run, but we should let things shake out a little.

excon



If he does as he has threatened and launches an attack in Isreal... then I'm all for blowing him and that cesspool into the stone ages.

Because Israel has played NO part in this so far.

It isn't even clear that Assad was the one who did the chemical attack.

No and no again. This has all the smell of a false flag .

The rebels gassed themselves for a photo op to make people mad at Assad?

The rebels gassed themselves for a photo op to make people mad at Assad?
Exactly how many factions are going on in that country? Can anyone list them? I've heard seven or so, most at odds with each other.

I still believe this is another distraction.. to divert attention away from the growing Benghazi investigation...

Who gives a hoot what Syria does inside Syria... what interests do we actually have there anyway? If they all killed each other the world would be a little better in the morning.

Particularly wasn't it the Obama supporters arguing we aren't the Worlds police force for say... the entire 8 years of Bushes Administration...

The rebels gassed themselves for a photo op to make people mad at Assad?

Oh I'm sure no rebels were gassed. But they did make sure they got a video of all the children.

I think she means we don't see in news clips the women and children running wild and screaming. They are the ones, though, ending up without sons and husbands and fathers.

I think she didn't see the newsclips of women with AK47 in their hands

I think see didn't see the newsclips of women with AK47 in their hands
Shoved into their hands by males?

Shoved into their hands by males?

Don't be Niaive

Shoved into their hands by males?

I assume you don't know many middle eastern women... they are a bitter bunch being forced to live under Sharia Law... you shove anything at them at your own peril.

I assume you don't know many middle eastern women.....they are a bitter bunch being forced to live under Sharia Law....you shove anything at them at your own peril.
Actually, I do. Library volunteers and patrons, and an Egyptian woman and friend on FB (had been on askme.com and AW) who lives in Cairo. I do get around. :)

Shoved into their hands by males?

Come on.

Would Lorena Bobbitt be allowed near another knife? Would any man push a gun in her hand?

Where did this idea that women don't fight when the chips are down come from, oh I know in that place where women sit back and sip their latte's in smart cafe's and gossip about other women. Mustn't chip a nail you know, it would be a disaster of WWIII proportions

Also... I will pass on a story of a very good friend of mine... that actually happened to him on Patrol in Vietnam... two stories in fact...

One he was walking down a road and there was a really old mama-san and a very young child... toddler in fact... walked up to them all wide eyed playing with something rolled up in a shirt.. of course the guys never really thought much mor ethan cute inocent kid... well the kid when he got closer took the "Toy" he was fumbling with... and tossed it like any small kid that has only recently learned how to walk might... well it was a hand grendade... the kid was too small to remember to pull the pin... they all froze when they say it because it was the last thing they expected at that point... mama-san disappeared during all of this.

Another time later in the tour they were checking "locals"... one baby carriage under a real baby... was pounds of C-4 explosives... they caught it before it was armed to go off... the "Mother" was ready to blow herself and the baby up to kill US Service men. She was shot and killed before she could scramble and do anything after being discovered.


Women have a huge part... and may be a different part... but innocent they are not.

here we go again!

Ust be something in the water. The US to go it alone. Ok boys go and bat Assard round the ears

Obama says Assad carried out gas attack, US prepared to go it alone as expectations of military strike grows | News.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/world-news/middle-east/us-to-strike-syria-8216as-early-as-thursday8217-senior-defence-officials-report/story-fnh81ifq-1226706096596)

Obama had his fragile ego hurt by Vladamir... now people have to die as a result.

Like most Chicago blacks... they can't feel big and important if someone's not dying over some perceived slight or reason.

Ever wonder why Chicago murder rate is so high... just look at how Obama behaves and responds to criticism.

I suppose all those women in the US military that fought to be in combat roles really just had guns shoved in their hands.

This is why women are so difficult to understand, they b*tch and moan to get something and when they get it they blame men for their ills. Sorry base, you asked for it you deal with it.

here we go again!

ust be something in the water. the US to go it alone. Ok boys go and bat Assard round the ears

Obama says Assad carried out gas attack, US prepared to go it alone as expectations of military strike grows | News.com.au (http://www.news.com.au/world-news/middle-east/us-to-strike-syria-8216as-early-as-thursday8217-senior-defence-officials-report/story-fnh81ifq-1226706096596)

When did the US "go it alone" ?
Certainly not before 2009 .
But let's assume that is the emperor's plan... Here is some previous statements from the Obots.

“The president does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation,” (candidate Senator Obama ,2007)
“The president has no constitutional authority to take this country to war… unless we're attacked or unless there is proof that we are about to be attacked,”(candidate Senator Joe Biden ,2007)

“The president does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation,” (candidate Senator Obama ,2007)
“The president has no constitutional authority to take this country to war… unless we’re attacked or unless there is proof that we are about to be attacked,”(candidate Senator Joe Biden ,2007)

Seems someone has a convenient memory or was that just poli speak. Of course he will have congressional endorsement of his actions under an executive order

seems someone has a convenient memory or was that just poli speak. of course he will have congressional endorsement of his actions under an executive order

Oh.. Obama is HUGE on do as I say not as I do... methodology.. especially when he does exactly what he spent years complaining others did... and his brain dead followers flip flop and support him.

Oh..Obama is HUGE on do as I say not as I do.....methodology..especially when he does exactly what he spent years complaining others did....and his brain dead followers flip flop and support him.
Seems to me like he is being very, very careful not to dash into Syria with muskets and swords.

Seems to me like he is being very, very careful not to dash into Syria with muskets and swords.

No! Gunboat diplomacy works better when you can get your boat close enough for a knock out blow. That way you don't get your lovely uniform dirty

Seems to me like he is being very, very careful not to dash into Syria with muskets and swords.

The emperor said he just wants to do a 'shot across the bow'... in the old days that meant a warning shot that intentionally missed it's target . Is that the plan ? I don't think so... a salvo of tomahawks will hit their targets and cause destruction and death.

Well he could accidentally target the presidential palace after just missing the ministry of defense, It caused daffy to suck his scone in long ago

seems someone has a convenient memory or was that just poli speak. of course he will have congressional endorsement of his actions under an executive order

In the same statement ,Biden said he'd introduce articles of impeachment if Congress was ignored.

SO when is Joe going to say go out and fire two shots from your double barrel shotgun in the air? Isn't that his patented answer for everything?

Actually since Russia thinks Chemical weapons are such a good thing and intend to defend their use... we need to reactivate OUR chemical weapons programs and stockpile them... that way we can respond in kind in the future.

SO when is Joe going to say go out and fire two shots from your double barrel shotgun in the air? Isn't that his patented answer for everything?

I believe that's Obama's conscience soothing plan, lob a couple of missiles "over the bow."

So why aren't the anti-war protesters coming out in droves? It's the economy (http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2013/08/28/anti-war-groups-plead-poverty-as-reason-theyre-not-protesting-syria-intervention/)...


Anti-war groups like Code Pink and Peace Action aren’t swarming the Mall in Washington to protest Barack Obama’s planned intervention in Syria because the economy is in the pits and the movement is a “shadow of its former self,” according to Medea Benjamin, founder of Code Pink.

BuzzFeed:


“Well, the most incredibly depressing thing was that most of the groups that existed before don’t exist anymore,” said Medea Benjamin, the founder of Code Pink. “That’s the number one problem, is that the antiwar movement is a shadow of its former self under the Bush years.”

Benjamin pointed to groups like United for Peace and Justice, a Communist Party-connected group, as examples: “They’re down to a couple of volunteers,” she said.

Code Pink itself, despite being one of the most visible protest groups in the U.S. today, has felt the pinch.

“Even Code Pink, which had 300 local groups, just has a tiny portion still functioning,” Benjamin said. “So when something like this happens, we don’t have the infrastructure to rally people.”

Some activists argue that it’s mostly an issue of money and membership, and not an indication that the left supports Syria intervention.

“Among the long-standing peace and disarmament groups that we work with, everybody is angry and pissed about what seems to be an imminent attack,” said Kevin Martin, the executive director of Peace Action. “Public opinion is not supporting it either. But you’re not going to see hundreds of thousands of people in the street.”

“I don’t think me or Medea or anyone else should be defensive about that,” Martin said. “We don’t push a button and get hundreds of thousands of people in the streets.”

Martin blamed the anemic response among peace groups to Syria on the economy, noting that all nonprofits are struggling — not just protest groups.

Plus, Martin said, the energy on the left has been focused on drones and civil liberties, which “doesn’t rise to the level of an obviously unjust war where hundreds of thousands of people are being killed because of a belligerent president.”

I guess belligerent is in the eye of the beholder. I can guarantee if it were a Republican starting his third war they'd find the money for poster board and magic markers.

Guess the Code Pinkos will not be following the emperor,and setting up tent camps in Martha's Vinyard or Honolulu .

The Constitution requires that, barring an attack on the United States or an imminent threat to the U.S. any decision to use military force can only be made by Congress -- not by the President. The decision to go to war -- and we should be clear, launching a military strike on another country, justified or not, is an act of war -- is reserved by the Constitution to the American people acting through their elected representatives in Congress.

Since there is no imminent threat to the United States, there is no legal justification for bypassing the Constitutionally-required Congressional authorization. “Consultation” with Congress is not sufficient. The Constitution requires Congressional authorization.

The American people deserve to have this decision debated and made in the open, with all the facts and arguments laid out for public review and debate, followed by a Congressional vote. If the President believes that military action against Syria is necessary, he should immediately call Congress back into session and seek the Constitutionally-required authorization.
Rep Jerry Nadler (ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.)

Congress should have already been engaged with a debate and ready to act, or at least have an outline to a plan. They have known for 3 months somebody was gassing people in Syria.

They have been fighting in Syria a lot longer, so why hasn't the Congress been doing its job and be ready for whatever.

Congress isn't the CIC. The only time Congress has ever declared war was at the request of the president

Congress should have already been engaged with a debate and ready to act, or at least have an outline to a plan. They have known for 3 months somebody was gassing people in Syria.

They have been fighting in Syria a lot longer, so why hasn't the Congress been doing its job and be ready for whatever.

Congress hasn't been threatening to commit an overt act of war... in a country we have no compelling interest in.

After all the Democrats spent 8 years argueing under Bush that we aren't the worlds policemen...

Bush sent a lot of troops to Iraq. Obama says NO troops. Just bombs and thing that go boom. To be honest I'm not sold on getting involved with a Syrian civil war, but if they use gas, no doubt others will to, so its COMPLEXED.

But as part of a greater coalition, like more Arabs from the region, that would add weight to any actions we could take. Alone, NO!!

Bush sent a lot of troops to Iraq. Obama says NO troops.

Iraq was violating a cease fire agreement they had with us...

I know the concept of what a cease fire agreement is, is a bit much for Democrats to grasp... but we have one in Korea too... and have since the 1950's.


What business exactly do we have with Syria anyway... who exactly declared the USA was the Worlds policemen... and what right does Obama have to decare war on a country that has done nothing to us or one of our allies yet.

What business exactly do we have with Syria anyway....who exactly declared the USA was the Worlds policemen......and what right does Obama have to decare war on a country that has done nothing to us or one of our allies yet.
And if we create a vacuum by helping to remove Assad, what will fill that vacuum?

Do we ignore the deaths of innocent civilians and let these countries work out their own problems?

And if we create a vacuum by helping to remove Assad, what will fill that vacuum?

Do we ignore the deaths of innocent civilians and let these countries work out their own problems?

Syria is full of degenerates that hate us uanyway... let them kill themselves... if anyone does anything it should be to keep Hezbollah and Iran from sticking their noses into it.

He isn't asking for WAR, he is asking for but a clear message against the use of gas. Banned in the civilized world since WWI.

Syria is full of degenerates that hate us uanyway...let them kill themselves....if anyone does anything it should be to keep Hezbollah and Iran from sticking their noses into it.

Where have you been for two years? They already have their nose in it.

He isn't asking for WAR, he is asking for but a clear message against the use of gas. Banned in the civilized world since WWI.

Sending a bunch of missles into someone else's country to blow things up is by anyone's definition... including the United Nations... an act of war.

He isn't asking for WAR, he is asking for but a clear message against the use of gas. Banned in the civilized world since WWI.

Actually, I believe he's just trying to cover his arse (http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-obama-dilemma-20130828,4290748,7039944.story).


One U.S. official who has been briefed on the options on Syria said he believed the White House would seek a level of intensity "just muscular enough not to get mocked" but not so devastating that it would prompt a response from Syrian allies Iran and Russia.

"They are looking at what is just enough to mean something, just enough to be more than symbolic," he said.

I think he's already made a mockery of us.

Sending a bunch of missles into someone elses country to blow things up is by anyones definition...including the United Nations...an act of war.

Yes and there could be retaliation, but there has already been a fallout that has displaced millions across the region, into neighboring countries. What do you need a map or something? The whole region is at war already.

Yes and there could be retaliation, but there has already been a fallout that has displaced millions across the region, into neighboring countries. What do you need a map or something? The whole region is at war already.

I couldn't care less if the entire country of Syria ends up dead... in fact I hope for it... its their problem... not ours at this point.

If they start lobbing chemical weapons across any of the borders then that would change. Right now its an internal problem.

Yes and there could be retaliation, but there has already been a fallout that has displaced millions across the region, into neighboring countries. What do you need a map or something? The whole region is at war already.

And exactly how does just enough of a response to "not get mocked" (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/3539549-post89.html) help those millions?

Actually, I believe he's just trying to cover his arse (http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-obama-dilemma-20130828,4290748,7039944.story).



I think he's already made a mockery of us.

I guess if he went Cowboy like Bush did that would make you happy, and being pragmatic and having consensus and support more broadly isn't something you could support or consider.

Seeing as no action, just debate is what's going on, globally not just here, then your assertion, and that of your pundit you cited is decidedly misleading.

And if we create a vacuum by helping to remove Assad, what will fill that vacuum?

Do we ignore the deaths of innocent civilians and let these countries work out their own problems?

Will toppling Assad end the carnage ? More likely the Allawites will be the subject of ethnic cleansing that will make the cw attack pale in comparison.

And exactly how does just enough of a response to "not get mocked" (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/3539549-post89.html) help those millions?

We have done our share of humanitarian aid, and more is needed, as the numbers continue to grow. What do YOU suggest?

He isn't asking for WAR, he is asking for but a clear message against the use of gas. Banned in the civilized world since WWI.

A technicallity is that Syria is not a signatory. His message will most likely kill more Syrians than the cw attack . And he still has no proof ;despite his statement last night ,that it was forces in Assad's control that launched the attack.

I guess if he went Cowboy like Bush did that would make you happy, and being pragmatic and having consensus and support more broadly isn't something you could support or consider.

Seeing as no action, just debate is what's going on, globally not just here, then your assertion, and that of your pundit you cited is decidedly misleading.

You mistake me for someone clamoring for war, and certainly not given who the CIC is and his performance thus far.

What's ironic is how the tables have turned. You guys sure do think we've forgotten the Bush years and how things went down. Your version of history is rather creative. It was Bush who went directly to the American people and spelled out what our interests were in both Afghanistan and Iraq. It was Bush that went to the UN and made a case for action, and Bush that sought and received congressional authorization.

Which of these has Obama done?

P.S. I did not cite a 'pundit,' it was a "U.S. official."


One U.S. official who has been briefed on the options on Syria said he believed the White House would seek a level of intensity "just muscular enough not to get mocked"

So why aren't the anti-war protesters coming out in droves? It's the economy (http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2013/08/28/anti-war-groups-plead-poverty-as-reason-theyre-not-protesting-syria-intervention/)...



I guess belligerent is in the eye of the beholder. I can guarantee if it were a Republican starting his third war they'd find the money for poster board and magic markers.

http://imageshack.com/a/img5/5922/jk0a.jpg

An unnamed US official is a credible source? Naw he is no more than a pundits assistant. I think I join Tom on this one and want proof of WHO used gas. But if Russia and China are found to be backing a dictator that did used chemical weapons, that's a whole different ball of wax in my view.

I would be equally pissed if it was found the rebels were killing innocents with gas to draw the rest of the world into this. The rebel factions are carving up their own parts of the country to control, And I think we gear up and plan before we pick our targets. If it was Assad, yes I would send a force full message (Missiles and air strikes at military targets) and rail on Russia and China in the UN, and in public.

I think it's their inaction that has allowed this cancer to fester and grow in the first place.

Hello again,

I think it's their inaction that has allowed this cancer to fester and grow in the first place.I agree that Obama has NO Middle East policy. That's troublesome.

But, in his defense, how COULD you have a policy when everything changes in the blink of an eye?

Excon

But, in his defense, how COULD you have a policy when everything changes in the blink of an eye?
And are there any "good guys"? Really?

Dude, if I were that admin official and knew what he/she does I'd keep my name off the record, too. Although I agree this regime is full of talking heads - they're led by one - and as George Will put it, the purpose of this intervention will be "to rescue Obama from his words."

P.S. The Hill picked up on the LA Times blurb...

Official: White House seeks Syria response 'just muscular enough not to get mocked' (http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/319167-official-white-house-seeks-syria-response-just-muscular-enough-not-to-get-mocked)

As did the NY Post, NPR, FrontPage, Human Events... this is going to go down as one of the all time great foreign policy strategies, "just muscular enough to not get mocked."

Too late...

C_Kh7nLplWo

I am told that before the witches brew of jihadists entered the scene that there was a real national liberation /opposition force (that was early before Benghazi) . But now I say let them fight it out . Let's assume Assad forced did a cw attack. How much worse is that then the jihadists forcing a child to behead someone? (warning graphic video)
Syrian rebels use a child to behead a prisoner « Human rights investigations (http://humanrightsinvestigations.org/2012/12/10/syrian-rebels-use-a-child-to-behead-a-prisoner/)

How barbaric.

P.S. The Hill picked up on the LA Times blurb...

Official: White House seeks Syria response 'just muscular enough not to get mocked' (http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/319167-official-white-house-seeks-syria-response-just-muscular-enough-not-to-get-mocked)

As did the NY Post, NPR, FrontPage, Human Events...this is going to go down as one of the all time great foreign policy strategies, "just muscular enough to not get mocked."

Too late...

C_Kh7nLplWo

I'm embarrassed that fool Obama is even considered an American...

Talk about a guy that's trying to compensate for something... what happened to just buying a Corvette... its cheaper and nobody gets hurt.

More from Senator Obama 2007 "
"I would meet directly with Syrian leaders. We would engage in a level of aggressive personal diplomacy in which a whole host of issues are on the table…but right now the only incentive that exists is our president suggesting that if you do what we tell you, we may not blow you up. My belief about the regional powers in the Middle East is that they don't respond well to that kind of bluster. They haven't in the past, there's no reason to think they will in the future."

A hopeful Obama before he was elected and things have dramatically changed in Syria, don't you agree?

Hell things have changed dramatically here as well. The WHOLE world has changed!

A hopeful Obama before he was elected and things have dramatically changed in Syria, don't you agree?

Hell things have changed dramatically here as well. The WHOLE world has changed!

For the worse.

For the worse.

Finally we agree the world has changed for the worse.

Finally we agree the world has changed for the worse.

Where we disagree is WHY... and I believe Obama , his words and his policies are a big driver behind making things worse.

He could learn a lesson from the Queen of England... you need to think long and hard about what you are saying in the public arena when you are a speaking for a nation... words alone have consequences. And once spoken can't be taken back.

Royalty means squat to me... but her public behaviour and how she carries herself is deserving of respect on its own merits. Unlike many of her relatives.

The world was going to crap before he got here. And its not crap for everyone, some of us are doing well, and some of us that are doing well are spitting venom on those that aren't.

The Syrian crisis is not Obama's fault and doing nothing about it is common sense. There seems to be some sort of paranoia about poison gas being transported over large distances but the reality is large quantities of pool chemicals pose equal threat within your own borders and yet no terrorist has sought to use them.

You have got to get beyond the idea that the average terrorist is more than a low level gun man. The men who carried out the greatest act of terror in your nation did not use explovises they used something commonly available and no one has yet said that what was used in Syria is not something commonly available. The evidence points to a weapon delived by artilliary but could have just as easily been artilliary hitting something that was already there. Perhaps there was a chemical weapons dump in Damascus

Meanwhile ;the UK ,that does not have a constitution that mandates it ,had a vote in Parliament .They voted to not attack . They then made a request to the PM to honor the sentiment of Parliament... and he agreed.

Here in the US there is a constitutional mandate that war is declared in Congress. That is why GW Bush ASKED Congress for resolutions of war for both GWOT and Iraq. There is an unconstitutional,or of questional constitutionality 'War Powers Act ' that in theory gives the CIC the ability to act under select conditions of national emergency and imminent threat.
The emperor flagrantly violated the terms of the law in Libya.
It appears that both Speaker Bonehead and Madam Mimi have laid down a gauntlet to insist that before the emperor acts ,that he get congressional approval. Lets see if he crosses that red line.

meanwhile ;the UK ,that does not have a constitution that mandates it ,had a vote in Parliament .They voted to not attack . They then made a request to the PM to honor the sentiment of Parliament .....and he agreed.

Here in the US there is a constitutional mandate that war is declared in Congress. That is why GW Bush ASKED Congress for resolutions of war for both GWOT and Iraq. There is an unconstitutional,or of questional constitutionality 'War Powers Act ' that in theory gives the CIC the ability to act under select conditions of national emergency and imminent threat.
The emperor flagrantly violated the terms of the law in Libya.
It appears that both Speaker Bonehead and Madam Mimi have laid down a gauntlet to insist that before the emperor acts ,that he get congressional approval. Lets see if he crosses that red line.

There is no imminent threat to the US, to suggest there is is fantacy. There might be an imminent threat to people in Syria, your CIC has no mandate to defend them without a UN sanction. Yes, laws have been broken, perhaps by the Syrian government but no one has given direct evidence, I think, that because there was an artillery attack in which gas was used that they have the responsibility, so do many others but it is opinion not fact. We all have bad memories of WWI and WWII, this may or may not be repeating those circumstances, to suggest there is a red line is nonsense since the number of deaths has already crossed a "red line". Unilateral action is not an option and to do so is a criminal act in itsself

This sums it up nicely:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/theoatmeal-img/comics/syria/syria.png

The only people that will benefit are Islamic knuckledraggers who will take over...

The red line statement was one of his "off TOTUS" moments. Now his credibity and the nations comes into play because of his foot in mouth disease.

Now the Lone Ranger war monger is prepared to go it alone.

Syria is not a signatory to the international treaty that bans the use of chemical weapon against people. So if her neighbors take no action, neither should we no matter how despicable her actions are or outraged we are.

So stop hollering about Iran having nukes too. Failure to act against one dictator, emboldens them all.

It appears that both Speaker Bonehead and Madam Mimi have laid down a gauntlet to insist that before the emperor acts ,that he get congressional approval. Lets see if he crosses that red line.

Mimi has the seen the light, i.e. the need to cover for the emperor.

Nancy Pelosi the hawk tells President Obama to act on Syria (http://www.politico.com/story/2013/08/nancy-pelosi-barack-obama-syria-96065.html#ixzz2dSyHWWRD)

So that satisifies his constitutional responsibility ? A conference call with the 2 leaders ? That's a “robust” consultation ? Did Bonehead cry ?

If he wants congressional approval ,why doesn't he call Congress back from vacation ?

Hello again, tom:

why doesn't he call Congress back from vacation ?Why don't they COME back from vacation on their own? Do they NEED an invitation to DO their job?

Excon

Ummm he's the one that wants to drop the bombs

They will be back soon enough, since many of them have no clue about modern technology. Hell if some have no clue about the female body, what makes you think they know about Cisco apps?

Walk and chew bubble gum to the uninformed. Repubs are going to vote NO anyway, doesn't matter what they vote on, where, or the debates they have.

Funny how OweBama was calling the security briefings about Iraq total BS and lies... and yet completely blieves these ones in fact assumes stuff they NEVER calim to be true from the very same agencies... who never claim its 100% certain who did it.

Everyone all together now... Obama Lied... People died...

Hello again, tom:

ummm he's the one that wants to drop the bombsAnd, they're the ones who want to STOP him. You can't DO that from St. Louis.

Excon

Hello again, tom:
And, they're the ones who wanna STOP him. You can't DO that from St. Louis.

excon

What are they going to do, wave the constitution at him? The law means nothing to the imperial president.

Hello again, Steve:

Well, as we've discussed ad nausium, Obama hasn't YET violated the Constitution, or you'da IMPEACHED him sure as I'm sitting here...

AND, if you can prove he's violating the War Powers Act, then you can impeach him now. Like I've said all along, if he's a CROOK, then I want him in jail.

Congress HAS power. They can DO a LOT more than wave the Constitution at Obama. But, poor old Daryl Issa, as we've discussed, doesn't know HOW to wield the power he has. So, instead of being on HIS case, you're fine with a Republican controlled House who lays down for the president, and you don't know what to do, alas and alack..

excon

Just heard Kerry.. they have no intention of waiting for Congressional approval. Why doesn't Reid call the Senate back ?

Hello again, tom:

I just heard Kerry too. F**CK those Syrians!

excon

Hello again, Steve:

Well, as we've discussed ad nausium, Obama hasn't YET violated the Constitution, or you'da IMPEACHED him sure as I'm sitting here...

AND, if you can prove he's violating the War Powers Act, then you can impeach him now. Like I've said all along, if he's a CROOK, then I want him in jail.

Congress HAS power. They can DO a LOT more than wave the Constitution at Obama. But, poor old Daryl Issa, as we've discussed, doesn't know HOW to wield the power he has. So, instead of being on HIS case, you're fine with a Republican controlled House who lays down for the president, and you don't know what to do, alas and alack..

excon

I am absolutely positive the impeachment of the first black president.would go over well.

Hello again, tom:

I just heard Kerry too. F**CK those Syrians!!

excon

Yes ,of course why shouldn't we believe the intel was doctored ? That's what the Dems told us in 2003.

http://thedeathofamerica.org/images/syria-or-bust.jpg

And so the hollering... er... debate begins!! My bet is repubs will find a place to hide for a while... er... I mean SQUEAL!!

We all know they squeal for a long time. And very LOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUD!!

Elenore Holmes Norton... and there is no one more pro-obama than her... or liberal... is demanding Obama go to congress for a vote first...

I was shocked she actually said something I agreed with.

And so the hollering.................er..............debate begins!!! My bet is repubs will find a place to hide for a while..................er.....................I mean SQUEAL!!!!!!!!

We all know they squeal for a long time.

Hollering and squealing? I recall lots of it prior to Obama getting elected president, but I haven't noticed much hollering and squealing on this. The usual squealers are conspicuously absent, but we addressed that - it's the economy they say. Magic markers are expensive.

But let me ask, how should we respond to the "ad-libbed" war (http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/08/obamas-off-the-cuff-red-line-creates-syria-dilemma/)? Hey, at least Bush was calculated, organized, got congressional approval and built a large coalition. The emperor is going it alone.

(Does any of this irony sink in?)

P.S. NBC poll: Nearly 80 percent want congressional approval on Syria (http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/30/20256971-nbc-poll-nearly-80-percent-want-congressional-approval-on-syria?lite)

Are you calling the majority of Americans 'squealers'?

Yes Just heard Kerry, they have absolute certainty about the facts right down to the last dead body. So there is evidence that any kangaroo court would accept, the testimony of a US secretary of state. Now I remember another US secretary of state assuring us of irrefutable facts. De jevu,. anyone

Canada is not going guys... no one in the vicinity of this crazy person wants anyone's involvement

NBC poll: Nearly 80 percent want congressional approval on Syria - First Read (http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/30/20256971-nbc-poll-nearly-80-percent-want-congressional-approval-on-syria?lite)


Fifty percent of Americans believe the United States should not intervene in the wake of suspected chemical weapons attacks by Syrian President Bashar Assad, according to the poll. But the public is more supportive of military action when it's limited to launching cruise missiles from U.S. naval ships - 50 percent favor that kind of intervention, while 44 percent oppose it.

What a pity Syria doesn't have a long coastline, sort of makes the choice of landing zones a little limited, no landings to the strains of the "shores of Tripoli" so cruise is the weapon of choice, wouldn't it be a pity if one just happened to hit an Al Qaeda or Hezbollah staging camp

Gun boat diplomacy can be effective .But usually it does require boots on the ground to follow up. The "shores of Tripoli " was an example where the navy cannon and Marines worked in coordination.
Here is the document that the US declassified as proof that it was the Syrians that launched a cw attack.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/08/31/world/middleeast/31syria-chemical-weapons-assessment.html?_r=0
High confidence leading to confirmation.

Back to gun boat diplomacy... The emperor and Sec State have both indicated a limited salvo not designed to decapitate. If that is so then the best gain achieved is a degradation of Assad's air assets... the assets that helped him gain the advantage in the civil war. The net result will be a stalemate which would almost guarantee a continuation of the carnage for years to come.


By the way... when the French did not back efforts to invade Iraq ,French fries were renamed 'Freedom Fries'. Now that the Brits have backed out of Syria ,will English Muffins be renamed "freedom muffins" ?

Box cars full of WMD again! Is it crediable, only because we want it to be. Were chemical weapons used? Probably. Was it an accident? A plan twarted which went wrong or an actual attack? What is to be gained by attacking civilians since the rebels don't report large scale casualities? And no military advantage has ensued.

A surgical strike so you take out an airfield, big deal, perhaps you take out a chemical plant, then if you want to do it properly ask the Israeli's. The only crediable surgical strike is decapitation otherwise why do it? BO isn't going to do anything before he goes to Russia otherwise he looses the opportunty to persuade Vladimir to come over to his side

Maybe they can dust off that 'reset ' button.

Perhaps they should dust off the red telephone

I have to applaud the emperor's decision yesterday to hold off any military response in Syria until Congress has it's input. That is the correct and constitutional course to take .
The White House walk-and-talk that changed Obama's mind on Syria - First Read (http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/08/31/20273128-the-white-house-walk-and-talk-that-changed-obamas-mind-on-syria?lite)

Unstated in the article above is that it also gives him cover if he decides to back down from his red line bluster . He will be able to pontificate that he had every intention to "punish" Assad ,but that 'do nothing Congress ' prevented him . He can bemoan the restrictions placed on an imperial President in our system ;but alas ,he must act inside the law. He still will retain the option to take swift action when circumstances of national emergency or imminent threat develop .

Meanwhile ,Foreign Policy is reporting that the Obots had information of an impending cw attack by the Assad regime 3 days BEFORE the attack took place.
U.S. Had Intel on Chemical Strike Before It Was Launched | The Cable (http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/08/30/us_had_intel_on_chemical_strike_before_it_was_laun ched)

This is evidently confirmed in the intel assessment that the adm released Friday .


In the three days prior to the attack, we collected streams of human, signals and geospatial intelligence that reveal regime activities that we assess were associated with preparations for a chemical weapons attack...
Government Assessment of the Syrian Government (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/08/30/government-assessment-syrian-government-s-use-chemical-weapons-august-21)

They make a compelling case for bomb away.

No they haven't . What he should say is we are waiting for solid evidence concerning cw use and not simply YouTube videos. He should also say that no US action will be taken to advance AQ and jihadistan's agenda in Syria.

He has already said this was about the use of cw's by the Assad regime. The real question is what congress wants to do about it. That's where the ball is. Anything we do against Assad will help the rebels.

Hello:

It SHOULD be said that the lingering effects of our BIG, HUGE, HUMONGOUS mistake in Iraq is effecting our decisions about Syria today... It's got something to do with crying wolf..

excon

Yep and the mistake is being made again

Hello clete:

Here's the main difference between Iraq and Syria.. We KNOW Assad has WMD's. We KNOW he used them on his own people. Although Saddam too used them against his own people, he did it a LOOOOONG time ago, and got rid of the weapons before we went in.

excon

I think we did learned from Iraq, to not march an army through the country we bombed the hell out of.

Hello again,

So, WILL congress give Obama cover to attack Syria?? I think NOT. Will Obama do it anyway? I think NOT.

Oh, yes... I know the tide BELIEVES congress will do so. Nonetheless, I STILL think NOT.

excon

Hello clete:

Here's the main difference between Iraq and Syria.. We KNOW Assad has WMD's. We KNOW he used them on his own people. Although Saddam too used them against his own people, he did it a LOOOOONG time ago, and got rid of the weapons before we went in.

excon

Keep believing that fiction .

Hello again, tom:

keep believing that fiction .Apparently George W. Bush believes (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSN-Kku_rFE) that fiction too..

Excon

I hear there's a nice new USA embassy in Iraq.

I hear there's a nice new USA embassy in Iraq.

And if the emperor didn't blow the status of forces agreement then the US troops would be there to prevent Qod forces and supplies from reaching Syria through Iraq.

I believe that embassy there is a monument to the previous emperor:
Embassy of the United States, Baghdad - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Embassy_in_Iraq)


At 440,000 square meters, it is the largest and most expensive embassy in the world and is nearly as large as Vatican City.[1] It employs 15,000 people and cost $750 million to build.

Yeah I get it by the mute reaction from the left over the emperor's wars . It was never the wars they opposed... it was Bush

What mute reaction? Even you guys have posted comments from democrats. You contradict yourself all the time. The emperor hasn't started any wars yet.

Britain, Canada and Germany are opposed, France supports and it looks like the sheep in the U.S. congress will give Obama the go ahead to bomb Syria. I hope it does't happen but it looks almost certain now.

Text of draft resolution for authorization to use force, submitted to Congress .

Whereas, on August 21, 2013, the Syrian government carried out a chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of Damascus, Syria, killing more than 1,000 innocent Syrians;

Whereas these flagrant actions were in violation of international norms and the laws of war;

Whereas the United States and 188 other countries comprising 98 percent of the world's population are parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits the development, production, acquisition, stockpiling or use of chemical weapons;

Whereas, in the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2003, Congress found that Syria's acquisition of weapons of mass destruction threatens the security of the Middle East and the national security interests of the United States;

Whereas the United Nations Security Council, in Resolution 1540 (2004), affirmed that the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons constitutes a threat to international peace and security;

Whereas, the objective of the United States' use of military force in connection with this authorization should be to deter, disrupt, prevent, and degrade the potential for, future uses of chemical weapons or other weapons of mass destruction;

Whereas, the conflict in Syria will only be resolved through a negotiated political settlement, and Congress calls on all parties to the conflict in Syria to participate urgently and constructively in the Geneva process; and

Whereas, unified action by the legislative and executive branches will send a clear signal of American resolve.

SEC. ___ AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES

(a) Authorization. -- The President is authorized to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in connection with the use of chemical weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in the conflict in Syria in order to --

(1) prevent or deter the use or proliferation (including the transfer to terrorist groups or other state or non-state actors), within, to or from Syria, of any weapons of mass destruction, including chemical or biological weapons or components of or materials used in such weapons; or

(2) protect the United States and its allies and partners against the threat posed by such weapons.

(b) War Powers Resolution Requirements. --

(1) Specific Statutory Authorization. -- Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution.

(2) Applicability of other requirements. -- Nothing in this joint resolution supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution.


Text of Obama's draft legislation - CNN.com (http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/31/us/obama-authorization-request-text/index.html?hpt=hp_t1)

Whereas the United Nations Security Council, in Resolution 1540 (2004), affirmed that the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons constitutes a threat to international peace and security;

Syria could be practice for Iran.

Yes Iran needs the practice, whatever is done the possibility of a wider conflicit is large. Syria and Iran are allies, this isn't Iraq standing alone. BO is making sure his a$$ is covered before he acts

Then why not cut out the middle man ? If we are lobbing tomahawks and bunker busters anyway...

Now Tom you know you can't chew gum and spit at the same time. If Afghanistan and Iraq taught you anything it is that you need to be focused on one objective at at time, You are not out of Afghanistan and you want to start another conflict... get real, you are already overstretched with the commitments you have.

If you want to take on Syria it will have to be all in not that halfarsed approach you had with Libya. You can't just do a punative strike and walk away and in any case the possibility of killing civilians is high

The probability is also high they make a mistake and take Assad out too! OOPS,

Yes that is an option

The road to Damascus leads through Tehran .

There are two ways to get there Tom you could try travilling from west to east in which case you could be there tomorrow

Kerry caught using doctored information

EconomicPolicyJournal.com: Kerry Caught Using Fake Photo to Fuel Syrian War (http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2013/08/kerry-caught-using-fake-photo-to-fuel.html)

He did quickly backstep after being called out on it...

Used photos from Iraq... as if there wasn't enough stuff from Syria.

Makes you wonder about everything else they are claiming.

Lurch didn't have a very good weekend.

Hello again, wingers:

Yeah, Obama sucks.. Nonetheless, should we BOMB Syria, or should we NOT? THAT is the question that NOBODY wants to answer...

I'll answer. YES! Bomb that Mf'er. Will YOU go on record?? Nahhh, you won't. You, like the mealy mouths in congress, want to see which way the wind is blowing first..

excon

I see excon wants to help Al Queda and Iran take over Syria... because anything you do against Assad will help those two groups... and as bad as he is... they are worse.

Hello again,

I see smoothy wants to support one of Israel's worst enemy's.

excon

Hello again, wingers:

Yeah, Obama sucks.. Nonetheless, should we BOMB Syria, or should we NOT? THAT is the question that NOBODY wants to answer...

I'll answer. YES! Bomb that Mf'er. Will YOU go on record??? Nahhh, you won't. You, like the mealy mouths in congress, wanna see which way the wind is blowing first..

excon

I'm just busy watching the irony, as in Rand Paul asking, “How do you ask a man to be the first one to die for a mistake?”

I don't care which way the wind blows, Assad is bad news and should be punished. I just want to know what the objective is. If it's to lob a few missiles to cover for Obama's loose lips then no. If we're going to use our military then they need to kick some a$$ and for a good reason.

Hello wishy washy Steve:
“How do you ask a man to be the first one to die for a mistake?” Bush had no trouble asking 4,000 Americans to shed their lives... The irony is that Rand Paul is a peacenik, and you're NOT.

Me neither... I'll bet you and I would agree on what constitutes "punishment", though.. Obama wants to "limit" punishment.. I don't know HOW you do that..

Excon

Hello again,

I see smoothy wants to support one of Israel's worst enemy's.

excon

RIght... Al Queda and Iran are Israels friends? When did that happen? I didn't get the memo.

Hello wishy washy Steve:Bush had no trouble asking 4,000 Americans to shed their lives... The irony is that Rand Paul is a peacenik, and you're NOT.

Me neither... I'll bet you and I would agree on what constitutes "punishment", though.. Obama wants to "limit" punishment.. I dunno HOW you do that..

excon

LOL, I'm not being wishy-washy, just observing the role change. As Jim Treacher puts it, "It might seem confusing, but it’s very simple: Sometimes going to war is bad, and those who do it are evil. Other times, the President of the United States is a Democrat."

Read more: Pelosi: We have to bomb Syria to find out what's in it | The Daily Caller (http://dailycaller.com/2013/08/30/pelosi-we-have-to-bomb-syria-to-find-out-whats-in-it/#ixzz2dqPaZ5OR)

My idea of punishing Assad is as how tom puts it, turning him into pink mist.

Hello UN wishy washy Steve:

My idea of punishing Assad is as how tom puts it, turning him into pink mist.Absolutamundo.

Excon

If the treaty signed by 90 something nations banning the use of gas during conflicts, then it seems everybody would be outraged at this blatant disregard of that international standard. If you do NOTHING, then surely he will do it again. I would turn his a$$ into the governing body, which is the HAGUE, and if they did nothing, the UN did nothing, the international body did NOTHING, then we can make a decision on what WE do.

I point out that he has used gas, and everybody has done nothing already. At this point it doesn't matter who said what, why, or when, as all that matters is what we do about it. Its already a war, spread through more countries than Syria, has been for a few years now.

Blow the sucker away, and be done with it.

Then what do you guys plan to do with Irans mercenaries,. the Al Queada backed rebels... or the Hezbolah terrorist backed Rebels take over... particularly when they Put Israel in their cross hairs next... now they would have a base to lauch from... and it would be one of those three groups that would fill in the vacuum left by Assad.

Assad as bad as he is... is still the lesser of the evils.

They step out of line, blow those suckers away too! Why is this so complicated? I think this president has creds for eliminating the enemy. If he can find and blow a sucker away who's hiding, then for damn sure he can blow the suckers away who aren't.

If the treaty signed by 90 something nations banning the use of gas during conflicts, then it seems everybody would be outraged at this blatant disregard of that international standard. If you do NOTHING, then surely he will do it again. I would turn his a$$ into the governing body, which is the HAGUE, and if they did nothing, the UN did nothing, the international body did NOTHING, then we can make a decision on what WE do.

I point out that he has used gas, and everybody has done nothing already.

That scenario sounds awfully familiar...

They step out of line, blow those suckers away too! Why is this so complicated? I think this president has creds for eliminating the enemy. If he can find and blow a sucker away who's hiding, then for damn sure he can blow the suckers away who aren't.
If we eliminate all the suckers (enemies), who will take over the country? It will become our 51st state?

What, are we the world's policeman now? Why pick one evil dictator over another evil dictator?

They step out of line, blow those suckers away too! Why is this so complicated? I think this president has creds for eliminating the enemy. If he can find and blow a sucker away who's hiding, then for damn sure he can blow the suckers away who aren't.

Wasn't YOUR guys just whining about "civilian" casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan? And Pakistan?

Hello again, Steve:

What, are we the world's policeman now? We ARE the leader of the free world. Nobody shy's away from THAT appellation.. But, you don't become the worlds leader without dishing out some discipline.

Or, is all that crap about American Exceptionalism, CRAP??

Excon

Funny how the people that were bellyaching about Iraq and Afghanistan are preaching getting involved in Syria where we have absolutely no national interests at all of any type... just because the Messiah wants to do it.

Funny how the guys who went to Iraq and Afghanistan bellyache about this president bombing Syria without the boots on the ground.

Funny how the guys who went to Iraq and Afghanistan bellyache about this president bombing Syria without the boots on the ground.

THere were actual national interests for going into both Afghanistand and Iraq... but you guys have repeatedly made clear you aren't capable of grasping the basic concepts...

And nobody has yet shown one good reason we should go into Syria other than the fact Obama needs to defend his manhood... and is having a tantrum that the Brits told him to stuff it. As has almost everyone else so far.


I'm guessing he's been suffering from ED and he feels a need to go out and kill some people to feel like a man again.

Hello wishy washy Steve:Bush had no trouble asking 4,000 Americans to shed their lives... The irony is that Rand Paul is a peacenik, and you're NOT.

Me neither... I'll bet you and I would agree on what constitutes "punishment", though.. Obama wants to "limit" punishment.. I dunno HOW you do that..

excon

This is more like Clintoon's wag the dog in 1998... lob a few at aspirin factories and lob a few at empty AQ camps in the Afghan plains.
I stated about a decade ago that we needed to beat on Assad like a drum. Back then he was aligned with AQ and funnelling them into Iraq via the 'rat line' to wage war against the US.

I would be more comfortable now if I knew who we are aligning with in this conflict . I would be more comfortable if we were handing Syria off to a "Free Syrian Army " and not an AQ off shoot .

It reeks of hypocrisy that the Dems are suddenly concerned about Muslims using cw against their own. They were not concerned about it in the 1990s when Saddam was using them on the Kurds and Shia . There was no "moral outrage " when the Iraqis and the Iranians killed off over 1 million combatants... often using cw.

I would be more convinced if I was sure that it was Assad's thugs that did the act. As I have pointed out on this op... Twice in the recent months it was the rebels that were caught using and posssessing them.

Turkey arrests 12 in raids on 'terrorist' organization | Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/30/us-syria-crisis-turkey-idUSBRE94T0YO20130530)
Iraq arrests five in 'al-Qaeda chemical weapons plot' - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/al-qaeda/10094187/Iraq-arrests-five-in-al-Qaeda-chemical-weapons-plot.html)

Who says the rebels used them in May ? Member of the UN independent commission of inquiry on Syria ,Carla Del Ponte, says so .
U.N. has testimony that Syrian rebels used sarin gas: investigator | Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/05/us-syria-crisis-un-idUSBRE94409Z20130505)

So despite JF Kerry's certainty ("We saw rows of dead lined up in burial shrouds, the white linen unstained by a single drop of blood.")... as he references a picture that was taken in Iraq a decade ago...
BBC News uses 'Iraq photo to illustrate Syrian massacre' - Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9293620/BBC-News-uses-Iraq-photo-to-illustrate-Syrian-massacre.html)

Call me undecided.

Never mind the fact the very same agencies that produced this report also produced the report that Kerry and Obama claimed was full of lies when Bush was in office... and in many cases the very same people.

Hello again, Steve:
We ARE the leader of the free world. Nobody shy's away from THAT appellation.. But, you don't become the worlds leader without dishing out some discipline.

Or, is all that crap about American Exceptionalism, CRAP???

excon

I'm just strolling down memory lane...

Hello again,

Well, isn't this a fine how do you do? We got two right wingers, (smoothy and tom) who want to coddle the enemy, and we got two lefty's and one righty (me, tal and Steve), who want to PUNISH this piece of sh*t.

Carol is still asking questions.

How we line up is about how the rest of the country is lining up. No?

excon

MOST of the country is dead set against it too... because there is no upside... anything that happens will make things a lot worse than they are now. THere are no "better" options to fill in after Assad would be gone... only one of several Islamic knuckle dragger groups.

Hello again, smoothy:

because there is no upside.If you consider that doing NOTHING would embolden North Korea to attack the South, cause Iran to expand its nuclear efforts, and would encourage Putin to continue poking us in the eye, then I see PLENTY of upside to flicking this flea.

Excon

Hello again, smoothy:
If you consider that doing NOTHING would embolden North Korea to attack the South, cause Iran to expand its nuclear efforts, and would encourage Putin to continue poking us in the eye, then I see PLENTY of upside to flicking this flea.

excon

Syria has nothing to do with North Korea...

Want to talk about a real Quagmire... take out Assad right now and that's what you got. All the dominant rebel groups are terrorists or friends of Iran and ALL of them want to commit Genocide against Israel... and they have all made such staements.

I would think YOU would be thinking about that... because you want to make a bad situation orders of magnitude worse.

There IS no positive outcome in Syria... just bad (now) and worse (if Assad is take out).

Didn't your party learn anything from Libya, Algeria, Egypt?

take out Assad right now and thats what you got. All the dominant rebel groups are terrorists or friends of Iran and ALL of them want to commit Genocide against Israel...and they have all made such staements.

Assad knows that... and is smiling.

Assad knows that ... and is smiling.


Well... you don't HAVE to side with Assad... but going against him is by action aiding the Islamic Knuckledraggers... who want to go after Israel too.

Hopefully by waiting it out far more of that scum will remove themselves from the human gene pool before what happens, happens.

And maybe at that time someone actually better than Assad will arise... because right now there are none.

Hello again,

Well, isn't this a fine how do you do? We got two right wingers, (smoothy and tom) who wanna coddle the enemy, and we got two lefty's and one righty (me, tal and Steve), who wanna PUNISH this piece of sh*t.

excon

Maybe you missed my closing line... call me undecided.

I thinks supporting the al Nusra Front (aka AQ ) is coddling the enemy... you ?

Blow up one enemy, retarget, reload blow up the enemy that's left.

Blow up one enemy, retarget, reload blow up the enemy that's left.

Then get ready for the War Crime Proceedings... because nothing short of exxterminating all life within those borders will achieve the desired results. And even then.. it won't because other scum can easily move in...

Blow up one enemy, retarget, reload blow up the enemy that's left.
Who will be left to run the country? A women's coalition? That might work.

Blow up one enemy, retarget, reload blow up the enemy that's left.

And maybe we can install a government we like... you guys always approved that in the past.

This is as close to being asked if you would rather be burned at stake, drawn and quartered... or torn apart by wolves.

You get to pick the best one of those three. Then arguing about the merits of one over the other.

and maybe we can install a government we like.... you guys always approved that in the past.
I'll volunteer -- have been president of a church group and was a department head at a public library. Am well educated. Have successfully worked with Muslims in the past. Am organized, fun to be with, and know how to make samosas and baklava.

Whoever's is left can do whatever the hell they want, as long as they know where the boundary line is, and what happens when they cross it.

I vote for WG if it comes down to it.

I don't think she wants to go over there any more than the rest of us do.

I met one guy from Syria once... a pompous pain in the rump... he had his diplomatic immunity stripped and deported over distribution of conterfiet US currency... no lost love for any of them from me.

Remember Bush's coalition of the willing, the one openly mocked by lefties everywhere? Well, according to Debbie Downer, Obama has his own COW (http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/357429/wasserman-schultz-dozens-countries-back-us-action-syria-andrew-johnson), but who those "dozens" are is a secret I guess.


Democratic National Committee chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz says there are “dozens” of nations supporting the United States’ intervention in Syria, but regrets she’s “not at liberty to say” which ones.

“There are dozens of countries who are going to stand with the United States, who will engage with us on military action and also that back us 100 percent,” Wasserman Schultz said on CNN last night. When pressed by host Wolf Blitzer as to which ones, the Florida congressman said some of that information was classified.

The host asked Wasserman Schultz if those countries pledged military or diplomatic support, and she responded that it was a combination of both. “The important thing is we need military and moral leadership here,” she said.

These newly converted hawks are not very convincing, and that is a problem. The entire situation has been mishandled, the message muddled, the case less than convincing and the objective totally unclear. Other than, it's slam dunk.

The Senate foreign Relations Committee is meeting now. The process is moving ahead slowly.

I'll volunteer -- have been president of a church group and was a department head at a public library. Am well educated. Have successfully worked with Muslims in the past. Am organized, fun to be with, and know how to make samosas and baklava.

Baked goods would be the least of your concerns. Maybe if they carved out a safe haven for the Christian population... because the only thing preventing an ethnic cleansing of Christians and Kurds in Syria is Assad.

At the end of the movie 'Lawrence of Arabia', the Arab rebel fighters are wrapped up with internal, petty squabbles in Damascus as the great powers maneuver for the future of Syria. Nothing has changed .

The Senate foreign Relations Committee is meeting now. The process is moving ahead slowly.

It's even more obvious now that this whole affair is all about Obama as usual. He beat the war drums to cover for his ad-lib and did an about face on the go it alone strategy for more CYA, someone to blame if it goes bad.


According to Politico, “At the very least, Obama clearly wants lawmakers to co-own a decision that he can’t back away from after having declared last year that Assad would cross a ‘red line’ if he used chemical weapons against his own people.” And the Washington Post reports:


Obama’s proposal to invite Congress dominated the Friday discussion in the Oval Office. He had consulted almost no one about his idea. In the end, the president made clear he wanted Congress to share in the responsibility for what happens in Syria. As one aide put it, “We don’t want them to have their cake and eat it, too.”

Get it? The president of the United States is preparing in advance to shift the blame if his strike on Syria proves to be unpopular and ineffective. He’s furious about the box he’s placed himself in, he hates the ridicule he’s (rightly) incurring, but he doesn’t see any way out.

What he does see is a political (and geopolitical) disaster in the making. And so what is emerging is what comes most naturally to Mr. Obama: Blame shifting and blame sharing. Remember: the president doesn’t believe he needs congressional authorization to act. He’s ignored it before. He wants it now. For reasons of political survival. To put it another way: He wants the fingerprints of others on the failure in Syria.

Rarely has an American president joined so much cynicism with so much ineptitude.

Any surprise he won't come out and make his case himself?

Meanwhile, another blast from the past from that war monger Nancy Pelosi. Memories...

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/nancy-pelosi-syria-headscarf.jpg

Debate then vote. That's the way it works.

Debate then vote. That's the way it works.

I understand, you want cover if it goes bad, too.

With all the focus on Syria, maybe for once congress won't make fools of themselves when it comes time to raise the debt ceiling again next month. I was so sick of that nonsense, tanking the stock market for no reason.

Let's call it what it is shared responsibility, consensus, now there is a word you don't hear very often. He wants it so the republicans can't run away from the decision

The ones that vote NO, can squeal I told you so if it goes bad and point that out when they run for president. Obama did, it worked.

I can see why anyone would want to be president over there

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent events in Libya, Egypt and Syria and have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross."


The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.
The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.
Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniforms and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .
The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Australia ,meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be alright, Mate." Two more escalation levels remain: "Crikey! I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!" and "The barbie is cancelled." So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.
-- John Cleese - British writer, actor and tall person.

A final thought Greece is collapsing, the Iranians are getting aggressive, and Rome is in disarray. Welcome back to 430 BC

Hilarious!!

Australia ,meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be alright, Mate." Two more escalation levels remain: "Crikey! I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!" and "The barbie is cancelled." So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.
-- John Cleese - British writer, actor and tall person.

A final thought Greece is collapsing, the Iranians are getting aggressive, and Rome is in disarray. Welcome back to 430 BC

Tom let us not leave out the biggest players here

America which has gone from hand wringing to crying wolf and may escalate to defcon 1 which we think means I'm retreating to the bunker to contemplate my navel and think about the consequences of consensus

Meanwhile Russia denied the opportunity of veto, has opted for political lobbying and issuing warnings on missile launches, demonstrating that their missile defences really work

One last thought, we have found all crises can be resolved by a few friendly beers sunk at a barbie, so for the sake of the Syrians no pork and prawns and come on over and we will even serve orange juice

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent events in Libya, Egypt and Syria and have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross."


The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.
The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.
Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniforms and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .
The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Australia ,meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be alright, Mate." Two more escalation levels remain: "Crikey! I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!" and "The barbie is cancelled." So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.
-- John Cleese - British writer, actor and tall person.

A final thought Greece is collapsing, the Iranians are getting aggressive, and Rome is in disarray. Welcome back to 430 BC


That's freakin great... good thing I didn't have a drink in had to spew when I broke out laughing.

Yes there are some real comedians around

The English are feeling the pinch in relation to recent events in Libya, Egypt and Syria and have therefore raised their security level from "Miffed" to "Peeved." Soon, though, security levels may be raised yet again to "Irritated" or even "A Bit Cross."


The English have not been "A Bit Cross" since the blitz in 1940 when tea supplies nearly ran out. Terrorists have been re-categorized from "Tiresome" to "A Bloody Nuisance." The last time the British issued a "Bloody Nuisance" warning level was in 1588, when threatened by the Spanish Armada.
The Scots have raised their threat level from "Pissed Off" to "Let's get the Bastards." They don't have any other levels. This is the reason they have been used on the front line of the British army for the last 300 years.

The French government announced yesterday that it has raised its terror alert level from "Run" to "Hide." The only two higher levels in France are "Collaborate" and "Surrender." The rise was precipitated by a recent fire that destroyed France's white flag factory, effectively paralyzing the country's military capability.
Italy has increased the alert level from "Shout Loudly and Excitedly" to "Elaborate Military Posturing." Two more levels remain: "Ineffective Combat Operations" and "Change Sides."

The Germans have increased their alert state from "Disdainful Arrogance" to "Dress in Uniforms and Sing Marching Songs." They also have two higher levels: "Invade a Neighbour" and "Lose."

Belgians, on the other hand, are all on holiday as usual; the only threat they are worried about is NATO pulling out of Brussels .
The Spanish are all excited to see their new submarines ready to deploy. These beautifully designed subs have glass bottoms so the new Spanish navy can get a really good look at the old Spanish navy.

Australia ,meanwhile, has raised its security level from "No worries" to "She'll be alright, Mate." Two more escalation levels remain: "Crikey! I think we'll need to cancel the barbie this weekend!" and "The barbie is cancelled." So far no situation has ever warranted use of the final escalation level.
-- John Cleese - British writer, actor and tall person.

A final thought Greece is collapsing, the Iranians are getting aggressive, and Rome is in disarray. Welcome back to 430 BC

Got to love Cleese. I have to watch Fawlty Towers every now and again to get a fix.

Stuck in a time warp eh?

stuck in a time warp eh?

Classic comedy doesn't go out of style (he says while swiping the letters on his Galaxy Tab, wirelessly on the Internet).

His voice is one of the ones I downloaded on my GPS..

Nothing better to do? The US is going to war and nothing is going to stop it, a war led recovery

Even in war there is down time .

Obama is suffering from ED... and was showed up by Putin who is ten times the man he is... so he feels this need to kill some people to prove he is something he is not.

You know... a LOT like the North Korean Pillsbury Dough Boy.

Hello again, smoothy:

so he feels this need to kill some people to prove he is something he is not.Or, he's going to punish a law breaking dictator.. On the law boards, you LOVE to see guilty people suffer... You cut 'em NO slack at all.

Why not here?

Excon

Hello again, smoothy:
Or, he's gonna punish a law breaking dictator.. On the law boards, you LOVE to see guilty people suffer... You cut 'em NO slack at all.

Why not here?

excon

Really... how about we hold him, you and the rest of the democrat party personally liable for civilian deaths and everything else when Al Queada, Hezbolah, or Iran take over there?

Only a few Hundreds died in Syria from chemical weapons. as opposed to the 100,000+ many of whom were killed by the rebels... how about the numerous countries where far worse is happening and has been happening... like Sudan as just one example?

Hell more people than that die here every year from accidents with household cleaning supplies.

And I haven't seen any actual proof it really was Assad that ordered it... and more than enough reason to believe it was one of the rebels groups that did it... they have access to that stuff from government weapons Caches they have taken.

The emperor's audacity knows no bounds...

Obama: Red line on Syria chemical weapons is the world's, not his
(http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/04/politics/us-syria/index.html)

"The world set a red line when governments representing 98 percent of the world's population said the use of chemical weapons are abhorrent and passed a treaty forbidding their use, even when countries are engaged in war," he said at a joint news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt on the first day of a four-day trip that includes the G-20 summit in Russia.

"Congress set a red line when it ratified that treaty," Obama continued. "Congress set a red line when it indicated that in a piece of legislation entitled the 'Syria Accountability Act' that some of the horrendous things that are happening on the ground there need to be answered for."

Sounding exasperated, Obama added: "That wasn't something I just kind of made up. I didn't pluck it out of thin air. There's a reason for it."

Obama prods international community to act

Asked about whether he was seeking to save face, Obama insisted that "my credibility is not on the line -- the international community's credibility is on the line."

Uh, wasn't it just yesterday I noted the intention to shift the blame to others? Yes, I believe it was. It's begun... what a pathetic piece of dirt.

OK the time for rhetoric is over, next week we will see the US government line up behind their president and we will be on the path to WWIII of is it WWIV, the lines are a little blurred these days, it seems many countries can fight in a war and it is not a world war, we can fight a war for more years than we care to remember and yet it is not a world war

The timing is impeccable . Congress should finish up it's debate and pass the war resolution some time Monday or Tuesday... Then it's bombs away... on 9-11 .

the timing is impeccable . Congress should finish up it's debate and pass the war resolution some time Monday or Tuesday ... Then it's bombs away ......on 9-11 .

Yes you can celebrate 9/11 buy accidentally bombing al Qaeda, but Assard offers a bigger target. I haven't worked out yet where is the commercial advantage in attacking Syria

yes you can celebrate 9/11 buy accidently bombing al Qaeda, but Assard offers a bigger target. I haven't worked out yet where is the commercial advantage in attacking Syria

Call it 'no blood for natural gas ' .

Call it 'no blood for natural gas ' .

Like you need natural gas? Isn't there sufficient demand in Syria for their natural gas? Those arabic foods cause a lot of gas.

The real question is who is running that place, public sentiment or the oil companies. The last war was about gaining control of Iraq oil, so you think this one is about gaining control of Syrian natural gas. The last war resulted in higher oil prices this one will result in higher natural gas prices.. We had a saying once "poor fella my country" I think it might apply to you

like you need natural gas? isn't there sufficient demand in Syria for their natural gas? those arabic foods cause a lot of gas.

The real question is who is running that place, public sentiment or the oil companies. The last war was about gaining control of Iraq oil, so you think this one is about gaining control of Syrian natural gas. the last war resulted in higher oil prices this one will result in higher natural gas prices.. We had a saying once "poor fella my country" I think it might apply to you
If that BS claim Iraq was over control of oil... then why aren't we in control of all the oil there..

You do understand what cease fire agreements are?

This is ALL about pencild*ck Obama having his manliness questioned... so he wants to prove how manly he is by killing people... just like any bully that has his virility questioned.

Nobody did anything when they shot up a bunch of people in Syria, so what's the fuss over gassing them? Even if he never uses gas again, he sure as hell won't stop killing people. But it sure would put a crimp in Russia's guns for oil deal, and that port where they repair Russian ships(?) if they took Assad out. And you think those rebels will play nice with anyone who supported Assad?

Its win or die for Assad, and Mother Russia has made it plain they like him alive. Good thing he doesn't have a nuke, he would use that too because madmen always will use whatever they have to get what they want, or just for the hell of it.

There are bigger issues here than dead Syrians otherwise the west would have stepped in long ago. Obama is a fool if he thinks firing a few cruise missiles will protect Syrian civilians. If assard thinks he has nothing to loose he might use all the weapons in his arsenal.This is all bluff and bluster and Putin has called Obama's bluff. While we might think we know who used chemical weapons, the situation is so fractured in Syria maybe we don't know, perhaps the wind changed, you have to ask yourself what were civilians doing in a battle zone? Don't they have any common sense? Assard says he is winning, so now BO wants to lessen the chances of that, and yet he cannot afford an extremeist win

like you need natural gas? isn't there sufficient demand in Syria for their natural gas? those arabic foods cause a lot of gas.

The real question is who is running that place, public sentiment or the oil companies. The last war was about gaining control of Iraq oil, so you think this one is about gaining control of Syrian natural gas. the last war resulted in higher oil prices this one will result in higher natural gas prices.. We had a saying once "poor fella my country" I think it might apply to you

Nah you don't get it ,It's about competing routes of natural gas pipelines from the South Pars fields(Iran and Qatar) to Europe.Both OPEC and the Iranians want the pipelines going right through Syria.Only one will .

nah you don't get it ,It's about competing routes of natural gas pipelines from the South Pars fields(Iran and Qatar) to Europe.Both OPEC and the Iranians want the pipelines going right through Syria.Only one will .

Eventually gas doesn't carry a national flag. You put metered quantities in one end and you take metered quantities out the other end. I would think Putin's stake is to keep that gas out of Europe. The Iranians are selling their gas to Pakistan and eventually India, big energing market there. If the Iranians have so much gas they don't need nuclear or so the thinking goes

eventually gas doesn't carry a national flag. You put metered quantities in one end and you take metered quantities out the other end. I would think Putin's stake is to keep that gas out of Europe. The Iranians are selling their gas to Pakistan and eventually India, big energing market there. If the Iranians have so much gas they don't need nuclear or so the thinking goes

Umm not quite.. if OPEC's line makes it to Turkey then it cuts into Russia's virtual monopoly . If the Iranian line makes it there then Putin has a degree of control of the price.
Iran, Iraq, Syria sign major gas pipeline deal - Tehran Times (http://www.tehrantimes.com/economy-and-business/758-iran-iraq-syria-sign-major-gas-pipeline-deal-)
Qatar seeks gas pipeline to Turkey - The National (http://www.thenational.ae/business/energy/qatar-seeks-gas-pipeline-to-turkey)
Either way it matters who runs the country .

Hello again,

Didja hear that Rush Limprod BELIEVES (http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/09/obama-planned-syrian-gas-attacks-limbaugh-bodansky)Obama gassed the rebels?? Really...

Bwa, ha ha ha ha.

excon

Impossible... until now the emperor was leading from behind. But if you asked me if the jihadists we support got their hands on CW from other nations ,or even got their hands on some Syrian stock ;I would say that is quite plausible and probable. Don't forget about the 2kg of sarin that rebels in Turkey were caught with .

When Lurch Kerry speaks of moral outrages ,does he speak of the exections by the rebels that the Slimes published today ? Does he speak of the video( that I will not post here because of graphic content ) where a rebel leader carves out the heart and liver of a captive and proceeds to eat it ?

Hello again,

Didja hear that Rush Limprod BELIEVES (http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/09/obama-planned-syrian-gas-attacks-limbaugh-bodansky)Obama gassed the rebels??? Really...

Bwa, ha ha ha ha.

excon

I don't listen to Rush but I'd be willing to bet whatever he said was with a heavy dose of sarcasm.